


Rise of the Wild Ones

by RebalAngel13666



Category: Black Veil Brides
Genre: F.E.A.R. - Freeform, Fallen Angels, Gen, Wild Ones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2014-06-29
Packaged: 2018-02-04 07:23:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1770589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RebalAngel13666/pseuds/RebalAngel13666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hundreds of years have passed without incident. They're not going to try again...</p>
<p>Wrong.</p>
<p>F.E.A.R. has risen its ugly head and it's up to Andy and the rest of the black veil brides to save humanity again. But they need help; they need the Wild Ones.</p>
<p>Rain is your average outcast of her local high school. She has her issues, both physically and mentally. But that doesn't stop her from living life. The only thing that can... F.E.A.R. Sickened by their presence and given the chance to destroy them once and for all, Rain and a few friends head out to help the Black Veil Brides in the upcoming war for humanity's freedom.</p>
<p>But will Rain be strong enough to resist temptation?</p>
<p>And what will happen when normal everyday teens take on a fierce, terrifying , powerful organization such as  F.E.A.R.?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue/1

_Prologue_

Religion…

Most people have some form of it in their lives…

Some people reject it…

Whether or not any of them are true I know not…

But I do know one thing…

Some people take religion just too far…

 

I sat in bed not wanting to get up. It being Monday was bad enough, but today day felt… Weird. I couldn’t explain it, but something didn’t feel right. There was an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.  But really what choice did I have? One more absence and I would get suspended. I slugged out of bed and got ready. Breakfast was toast and Nutella. I said bye to my parents and went out to my Chevy cobalt. It was dark for six in the morning. The forecast didn’t call for rain, and normal faint scent wasn’t there either. _I’ve been in Oklahoma way too long_. I got in my car and drove the fifteen minutes to the high school.

 

 

_»†1†«_

 

I huffed into third period advisory (study hall). My hair stuck to my face and neck with sweat still there from this morning’s marching band practice. It was chilly in Mrs. Stanley’s room, unlike then rest of the school that seemed to have broken A/C’s. I sat at my usual desk as far away from Mrs. Stanley’s desk as possible. She was nice an all, but I was more comfortable back here. I pulled out my phone and put one ear-bud in, turning on some music just to get a little background noise. The feeling in my stomach had only gotten worse throughout the course of the morning. I also had a minor headache.

I sat there with my head on the desk ignoring the world when my phone’s screen flashed. Who the fuck sent me a text message during school? I looked at the name on the screen: Bunny/ Windy, my friend in Hugo. She knew texting during school was against the rules. Something was off, very off.

I glanced up. Good, no one was looking. I quickly opened the message.

_**Get out of school. Something very, very, VERY bad is going to happen. You need to get to the fruit stand ASAP!!!!!!!** _

That was not good. Windy wouldn’t ask me to drive all the way to Hugo without good reason.

I grabbed my bag and was about the get up to talk to Mrs. Stanley when the intercom buzzed on. “All students and faculty need to report to the Activity Center immediately.” The secretary announced.

Well shit… I thought. The class got up and piled out the door.  I walked down the hall as slow as possible. I didn’t want to go to some stupid assembly. I wanted to go see what Windy was spazzing about.

“Hey, Rain,” someone called behind me. I looked over my shoulder. Coming up behind me were my other best friend Destiny and her boyfriend Daniel.

“Hey,” I said as they walked up beside me.

Destiny frowned. “You look sick. Are you feeling all right Rain?”

Now that she mentioned it, I did feel like complete and utter shit. But I wasn’t about to tell her that. “I’m fine.” I said, “Morning band has been killing me though.”

I could tell from the look she was giving me she knew I was lying through my teeth. She thankfully dropped it though. I never liked hiding things from her, but how could I explain what I was unsure of myself.

The 900 plus group of students and faculty members piled into the bleachers of the Gymnasium-slash-auditorium, some teachers dragging in chairs from the adjoined cafeteria. Destiny, Daniel and I sat amid the rest of the seniors in our designated area. I sat on the edge next to Destiny just in case I needed to run to the restroom on the off chance I’d be seeing my breakfast again. I rested my head on Destiny’s shoulder and closed my eyes my headache making me a little sensitive to light. My shoulder began to itch a little, right where I had my BVB Pentacharm tattoo. A little rub soothed the itch, but it was back when I moved my hand away. I sighed and did my best to ignore it.

“Attention students,” The principal’s voice whined over the speakers. I zoned out after that and not really giving a fuck as to what she had to say. I just wanted to get out of here and go see my friend and maybe take a nap after a heavy dose of Tylenol.

Suddenly my stomach churned. My eyes flew open and I could practically feel the last bit of color I had drain from my face. My tattoo burned; I swore it was searing off that patch of skin. Everything was unfocused and the room was spinning. Tried to lock on to something—anything—that was not moving. The only thing I found was a man. The man was in a black suit and tie. He was pale with slicked back black hair. In many ways he reminded me of a snake; tall, thin, beady black eyes and a sinister smirk that made my skin crawl. My heart thumped in my chest and I broke out into a cold sweat. In the back of my mind a voice whispered. It said things like “Trust in Fear”, “Remain in the shadows”, “Only we can protect”, and “Stay close to Fear”. I shook in my seat. This was utterly and absolutely bad.

Destiny shook me a little. “Rain what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen Satan himself.”

If only she knew.

I clutched Destiny’s arm. “Take me to the restroom.”  I choked out the words barely above a whisper. She quickly wrapped her arm around me and we hurried to the restroom in the cafeteria. I ran into the first stall and dropped to my knees in front of the toilet. Everything that was in my stomach came out in violent heaves.  I sat there taking shaky breaths until I was sure I was done puking. I then sat against the wall shaking and sobbing a little.

Destiny opened the stall door and looked down at me. “I called your mom, she’s coming to get you.” she said.

I swallowed back bile. “Can you get me some water,” I whispered. Destiny nodded and left the restroom.

Windy was right, something very bad was happening, the worst thing imaginable to be exact. F.E.A.R. was rising, and it was starting at my school. My heart sank. I had to get to Windy and we had to bail. She had warned me but I couldn’t get away soon enough. This was every BVB Army Member’s nightmare. The fictional tyrant group created by Black Veil Brides was now real. All Hell was about to break loose.

 

“You sure you’ll be fine by yourself, Rain?” my mother asked as she stood in my doorway.

“I’ll be fine mom,” I said, “I’ll call if I need anything. Go back to work.”

She sighed a little. “Dad and I will pick up your car later. Love you Hun.”

“Love you too mom.” and she left. Truthfully I didn’t know if I would be fine, but I needed to be alone. F.E.A.R.’s presence had me riled up to the point of being physically ill. Though most of it had subsided since I got home, the image of the man was burnt into my mind. I prayed he was not the “Voice of F.E.A.R.” the leader of the unholy group. I highly doubted he was though, but it made me feel a little better to think someone somewhere heard my prayer.

I will say it: I am Christian. I believe there is a God and that he watches and loves all on Earth, even those who reject him or practice other religions. I’m not all “hellfire and brimstone” though. I don’t care what someone else’s beliefs are, hell one of my best friends is Satanic for crying out loud. As long as you are nice to me and respect my opinions, I don’t give a damn about what you believe. I will give you the same respect, but I could altogether care less. You have your opinions and I have mine, and that is that.

I laid in bed trying to see off the headache still pounding at my temples. Then my phone rang. I groaned and looked at the caller-ID. Bunny/Windy… shit. I quickly answered the call. “Hey Bunny-Boo—”

“Where are you?” Windy’s shrill voice cut me off.

I wince a little and sighed. “I’m not coming Bunny.”

“Why not?” She asked franticly.

“Because F.E.A.R. showed up at my school and I got so fucking terrified about it I became physically ill. I’m sorry but I can’t make it all the way out to Hugo right now.”

There was silence on her end for a rigid moment. “... Fuck me…” I heard her groan. “What happened? What did he say?”

“I don’t know.” I muttered. “I sat there already feeling like shit when my Pentacharm tat started burning like hell and my stomach felt like it was coming up my throat. My vision blurred and I got a massive headache. Then I saw the F.E.A.R. representative. Everything went downhill from there and I rushed to the bathroom sick as a dog.”

Windy groaned. “Well shit…”

“Look, I’m coming down there tomorrow and we’re hightailing it out of here.”

“All right, I’ll be at the fruit stand at 8:30 tomorrow morning.”

“Perfect, the sooner we leave the better.”

“Where will we go, though?”

I hadn’t thought of that. I sighed a little. “We’ll figure that out as we go.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow Kitty.”

“Tomorrow Bunny-Boo.” And Windy hung up on me. I groaned a little and plugged in my phone. My head hit the pillow and I was out like a light.

 

»»»«««

 

I glowered out the window of the hotel room at the large “church” being built down the street. It was happening. What we had been trying to prevent was now transpiring. It’s been nearly two years since the album came out and we have put out few more albums since then, but “Wretched and Divine” had been our warning. The world thought they were made up, a fairytale we had invented. But no, they were real, as real as the people they were planning to corrupt.

“We did it once,” CC said from the bed behind me, “we can do it again.”

“We weren’t alone then CC.” Jake reminded him solemnly.

“We’re not alone now! We have the Army to back us up. Millions of people just here in the States—”

“Most of which are only children, not warriors.” Ashley interjected. “Back then we had an army, small though it was, of trained soldiers who knew what they were getting themselves into. Not children and teens who know nothing about fighting and protecting themselves.”

“They could be trained—”

“Not fast enough to take down F.E.A.R. before they become too powerful.” Ashley growled. He hated putting the fans at risk, even though it could save their lives. Take away the “Play Boy” front and you found the most caring man I’ve ever met.

“What do you think, Andy?” Jinxx asked from his place on the far wall.

I stared out the window silently for a moment, thinking. “CC is right, but so is Ashley. We have more than enough people to take F.E.A.R. out permanently, but most of them are too young. We could train those who are old enough and able, but that would take time we don’t have…” I trailed off into my thoughts. I sighed and pounded my fist on the window. “We have no choice.” I muttered. Turning around I looked over my brothers. We all were strong, with our own powers, but we needed the support of an army. We had no choice. “We have to call Wild Ones to arms,” I said firmly. “It is the only way. I know they will be young and untrained, but it is what we must do. The Army as a whole will come later, but the Wild Ones must be called tonight.” They all looked at me gravely.

The truth behind the Wild Ones is we have no idea who they are. The Wild Ones are a legion of special people, a blood line, that we have called upon time and again to fight F.E.A.R., but their identities we only know after we call them. They have their own powers unique to the individual and we help unlock and strengthen these powers. The Wild Ones have been all we needed to take down F.E.A.R., but now we need the all the help we could get.

Jinxx shoved off the wall and walked to the middle of the room. “He’s right,” he said, “The Wild Ones are our only hope of building the Army. They will pick up on training quickly and be able to teach new soldiers as we get them. But where are we going to assemble them?”

“That’s the only problem I’m seeing as well.” I muttered running a hand through my hair.

The room went silent. “I say we send them out to The Cavern.” Jake said after a few moments. “It’s quiet, hidden, and the cavern’s entrance would be the perfect place to open a gateway to the training grounds.”

“And we’re the only ones who know of its existence.” Ashley interjected. “How the hell are we going to get them up there?”

“That will be their first test,” Jake exclaimed, “seeing how well they follow directions and use their heads in difficult situations.”

“Are you mad?” Ashley nearly shouted. “The Cavern is in a valley the middle of a mountain range. We only got there by flying. Those peaks and cliffs are too fucking dangerous. They would never find the trail to get into the valley and if they did the hike would be too strenuous for even a professional. They could never get anywhere near the—”

“Enough!” I barked.  Ashley quickly snapped his mouth shut. I took a deep breath before speaking again. “The Cavern is the best place to send them. We won’t force them to hike to it alone though. We will have them meet us at a rendezvous point and we'll lead them through the trail. We will have to train them at the valley. Opening a gateway to the training grounds will be like turning on a bright flashing sign that screams to the world ‘Look at us! We’re building an army to take you out!’ something we most defiantly don’t need. We will set up everything there. We’ll take turns opening small portals to get supplies when needed. We will only risk a gateway if we need a quick escape, but only then. This will take time though.”

“We give them a month,” CC chimed in. “That should give them more than enough time to get to the camp and us enough time to set up a basic command center.”

I nodded. This might actually work. “Jinxx, how long do you need to gather the supplies to call the Wild Ones?” I asked.

“A few hours, but I can have it all by tonight.” Jinxx said.

“Good,” I muttered. “Get to it, the sooner we get this done the better.”

With that the others left me to my thoughts. I turned back to the window. This was going to be Hell.

 

»»»«««

_I woke up on something hard, something most defiantly not my bed. I groaned in annoyance. Had I tossed and turned so much I fell off my bed? Rolling over all my pillows and stuffed animals to fall the floor? Damn, what kind of dreams did I have? With another groan I pushed myself up so I was sitting with my legs crossed. The ground gave under my hands a bit. What the Hell? I clenched my fist and opened my eyes to watch sand trickle out of my hand. Great, just mother fucking great. I was still dreaming. Come on brain, can you do anything better than sand? Really? I sighed and stood. So what happens next, huh? Am I going to get attacked by a sand shark? Is Luke Skywalker going to come flying by? Or is Prince Charming going come gallivanting up to “rescue” me? God why did I have to have such weird dreams? Oh wait… this is me we’re talking about. I should be worried some purple giant has yet to come skipping by singing some Celtic song about sheep or something equally ridiculous._

_I let my eyes wander the barren landscape. Off in the distance there was a black cube-like structure. My heart skipped a couple beats. Why? Why, why, why? Seriously Brain? I already spewed my guts out. Now this? God these people were haunting my nightmares. Barely thinking I turned tail and ran. The black ripped skinny jeans, and thin, tight shirt did nothing to constrict my movements. My long legs carried me away from the dreaded building, thick souled black boots thudding against the ground softly. I had absolutely no idea where I was going, but I’ll be damned if I stayed anywhere near that hellhole. It’s sad that I mean that literally._

_I run for what seemed like forever. The building soon disappeared behind me. After the longest time little structures came into view. From what I could tell they were little makeshift huts and tents. A black mass seemed to be forming around a platform in the middle of the little village. Thank God I wasn’t alone. Other people were streaming in from roughly the same general direction I was coming from. I soon joined the crowd of people. Looking around I was surprised to see some of my favorite bands. Blood on the Dance Floor, Motionless in White, Asking Alexandria, and other bands like them stood among the crowd, just as confused as the rest of us. Out of the corner of my eye a random flash of pink caught my attention. It was Windy! Ok, what the hell is going on?_

_“Rain!” someone called my name. I turned to see… Daniel? Now I was beyond confused. Why on earth was goodie-two-shoes Daniel here?_

_Daniel weaved his way through the crowd until he was by my side. “What on earth is going on?” he asked a little out of breath._

_“Hell if I know.” I replied. “The only thing I can think of is I’m going full blown insane.”_

_“Well, Crazy, you have got to know where we are.” He muttered. I quickly explained the Wretched and Divine album and the Legion of the Black movie to him. As expected, he looked at me like I had seven heads. “That’s completely insane and disturbing.” He said._

_“I know, but it’s the truth, more than you know.” I breathed. God why did this have to be real?_

_“Have you seen anyone else you know?” He asked after a moment._

_“A mutual friend of Destiny and I, and a few bands I like.” I said looking around. “What about you?”_

_“I’m pretty sure Destiny ion the other side of the stage.” He muttered. So that was three people I knew so far. I’m starting to think this isn’t a dream._

_The shriek of a guitar pierced the air. My eyes darted to the stage as I winced at the sound. My jaw dropped. On stage stood five of the most beautiful men I had ever seen. Black Veil Brides stood across the platform: CC the Destroyer, Jake the Mourner, Jinxx the Mystic, Ashley the Deviant, and Andy the Prophet. Jake and Jinxx stood with their guitars in hand. Andy’s eyes surveyed the crowd. Daniel grabbed my arm. “I think I believe you.” He whispered through the murmur of the surprised crowd._

_“I know you are all wondering why you are all here.” Andy’s voice boomed, the crown falling silent. “You are all here because you possess a quality that will help our fight against F.E.A.R. For those of you who don’t know, F.E.A.R. stands for, For Every and All Religion. They are the bane of humanity’s existence. Their only goal is to rule the world with fear and hate. I am not a religious man, but I know no gracious God would look upon them and be pleased. Sometime I swear not event Satan himself favors them. They will stop at nothing to be the supreme religious leaders._

_“Many of you may have already seen the effects of their rise. It is our job to put an end to it. We must bring them down and destroy them once and for all. You have been called to do this job. You all are descendants of a powerful blood line, the Wild blood line. In the past your ancestors have fought with us to take down F.E.A.R.’s previous up risings. We have called you here because you are their living and able kin. You all have a power deep inside you, a power we can unlock and use for the good of humanity._

_“We do not expect any of you to immediately want to join us. What we are asking of you may very well cost you your life. We only hope most if not all of you are willing to risk that, if not for yourself then for your families. F.E.A.R. will have an army ready and waiting for orders to demolish a city if it means moving forward in their conquest. This could mean the lives of your loved ones will be destroyed as well. We are asking what may be just too big of a risk, but it is a risk that must be taken to ensure the safe and free future humanity deserves._

_“We are setting up training grounds in a secret location out of the view of any curious eyes. It is out of the way and very difficult to reach. There we will safely teach you how to use your powers. We have embedded into your subconscious minds directions to a rendezvous point where we will meet you and take you to the training grounds. You all have a month to get there to gain access to the grounds. After that those who have not shown up will have to earn their way in. Time is of the essence. We don’t need slackers.”_

_I stared at them letting it sink in as Andy’s voice faded. This was all too real. I knew without even thinking about it what I was going to do. Everything started to fade. The last thing I saw was Andy’s blue eyes, serious and strong, the eyes of a leader; the eyes of the Prophet._

 

»»»«««

 

I opened my eyes and looked at my brothers in our circle on the floor. It was done. Over 200 hundred people had been called, the largest group yet. We were going to have our work cut out for us. But in the end it would—hopefully—be worth it.

Jinxx stood from his place next to me and nearly fell right back down. The spell took a lot out of him. Jake and I quickly caught him and helped him to the bed. “Sleep here tonight, Jinxx.” I said as he sat on the bed. It wasn’t an order, but he gratefully complied with a small “Thanks Andy”. He soon fell asleep as the rest of us cleaned up the floor. Then everyone else retired to their own rooms. I laid next to Jinxx on the bed and gazed at the ceiling until sleep overtook me. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

 

»»»«««

 

I woke up to complete darkness. The cushion of my bed and pillows surrounded me. I grabbed my phone and checked the time— 2:51 a.m. My head spun. It was real. The nightmare was real. I had to stop it, stop them from taking over. In the back of my mind an address kept popping up a long with simple directions. These had to be for the rendezvous Andy had spoken of. I quickly found a little notepad in the cutler around my bed. Jotting everything down, I tore off the sheet and slipped it into my bra. I jumped off the bed and stared packing.  I had to leave in a few hours to pick up Windy. I knew she would go with me. I knew I would have at least her to count on. My mind wandered to Destiny and Daniel. What would they do? Would the come with and fight or stay and convince themselves it was only just a dream?

My phone rang just as I zipped my small duffle bag full of clothes. I quickly answered it forgoing checking the ID. “Hello?” I whispered as I grabbed the remaining clothes in my closet.

“Hey, it’s Des.” Destiny said on the other end. “Umm… did you have a weird dream? I mean just an utterly freaky dream. With a lot of people in black and that band you like.”

“Des that wasn’t a dream” I said as I finished stuffing a few shirts and pants into a messenger bag.

“Not funny Rain, I’m in major freak out mode here.”

“Trust me I wish I was joking. Everything they said is true. F.E.A.R. is closer than you think Des. A representative was at school today. The whole reason I got sick was because my body couldn’t handle the stress and what I’m sure was brainwashing.”

“Brainwashing,” Destiny hissed. “Now I know you’re insane.”

“How else do you explain the fact I heard voices?”

Des was quiet for a moment. “What… what do you mean?”

“I mean what I said Des. It’s not my schizophrenia Destiny. Just before I spilled my guts out voices were whispering to me. I’m probably not the only person it happened to—Hell— they most likely did it to everyone; even you and Daniel. My body just completely rejected their very presence. I have no idea why so don’t even ask. My point is they are close. We need to scram Des. I’m leaving around five to drive down and pick up Windy. You’re either coming with me or going on your own.”

Another long pause. “I’ll be ready by 4:30.” Destiny muttered.

I smiled little. “Thanks Des.” And we disconnected.

It was about 3:30 when my phone blipped with a text. I looked at the screen—Daniel.  I was wondering if that boy was ever going to reach me. I opened the text.

Please tell me I’m not insane. I had a dream about that band you’re obsessed with and you were in it. We had a little talk and one of the band members gave a long speech about some group call F.E.A.R.

I smiled a little and quickly texted back the spiel I just gave Destiny.

I’ll be ready by 5.

And that was that.

As quietly as I could I snuck everything out to my car. I grabbed my dad’s old bug-out bag and filled it with first-aid supplies and other useful random things. By the time I was done with packing it was nearly 4:15. I grabbed a quick breakfast and went to the front door. With a heavy heart I taped a letter I had written on the window. I hated leaving like this; they would not believe that this was real. I closed the door softly behind me, my heart aching.

Destiny’s house was a bit of a drive down a dark country back road. I had to drive slow with my high beams on to make sure I didn’t hit a deer. Des was waiting outside for me when I got there at 4:35. She stuffed her bags in the trunk and hopped in the front seat. Then we were off to get Daniel. We were on the road by 5:30. Daniel and Destiny were snuggled up in the back a sleep. I was running on roughly 16 hours of sleep so I was ok to drive for a while. The drive to Hugo kind of was long. We stopped for a quick breakfast at a McDonald’s off the turnpike. I downed a couple coffees and we were back on the road.

We got the fruit stand Windy’s mother owned at roughly 7:45.  We parked roughly a block away and got out to stretch our legs. I spit out the flavorless wad of gum I had been chewing on for the last hour. My body was craving nicotine from stress. I use to smoke behind my parents’ backs for roughly a year but been off the nasty habit for nearly six month. With all the stress I’ve been under lately, I was craving some form of relief.

A red Honda CR-V pulled in at roughly 8:15. Out stepped Windy. She had short black and hot pink hair and was in full BVB get up, shoes and all. Along with her came Jane, a short, brown and red haired girl; Samuel, a black and blue haired, skeleton skinny, giraffe boy; and Hayden, her tall, white-blonde haired boyfriend. They all climbed out of the car and stretched a little. I ran up and hugged Windy. She held me tight. A small bit of my stress left me for a moment.

“You had the dream too?” Windy asked as we let each other go.

“We all did, I’m guessing.” I replied looking at the rest of our friends. They all nodded a little. I couldn’t suppress a small smile. “For some reason, the fact we all came from the same blood line doesn’t faze me…at all.”  This earned a little chuckle from the group. “You all got everything you need?” I asked looking at the group riding with Windy. They gave a quick affirmative. I got in one last good stretch before going back to my car. “Let’s get going.” I said slipping into the driver’s seat. Everyone quickly got back into the cars and we were gone.

 

We had been on the road for nearly a weak. We would drive for twelve-plus hours a day until we had to get some sleep. We ended up in a little town roughly 45 minutes north of Seattle, Washington, Everett, I think. We set up in a little hotel and had no choice but to wait. This was as far as we knew to go. The address of the rendezvous was buried in our minds, but hell, we had practically three weeks to kill.

It was 5:30 in the evening of our third night in Everett. We had decided to go out for dinner, and ended up driving to Seattle for Applebee’s. The restaurant was rather quiet for a Saturday night and we were seated quickly. There was a calmness in the air and we all just felt very at ease for some reason. Hell, even I was able to relax. We ordered our food and sat back to enjoy each other company for a short while.

Then out of the corner of my eye a flash of black caught my attention. There was a man sitting over at the bar just lounging on a bar stool. By the way the bartender was blushing I could tell he was flirting with her. He was in all black: cowboy boots, tight ripped jeans, tank top, and studded leather jacket. Layered, long, raven black hair fell past his shoulders. In truth, he kind of looked like a girl. Don’t get me wrong, he was quite handsome; he just had some feminine features. His flirty smile coupled with an ever so seductive glance seemed to make the bartender putty in his hands. I knew this man right as I got a good look at him; it was Ashley Purdy. He appeared to be enjoying himself as he toyed with the bartender. Truly what else was there to expect from Black Veil Brides so called “play boy”. Though, it did baffle me why he was alone here, without one of his band mates or some other friend of his.

I turned back to my group. Though I wanted to go all crazy fan girl over him, I decided it be best to leave him alone. For the next 20 minutes or so I would sneak little glances in his direction. He was just chilling at the bar the entire time. I’m surprised my friends didn’t notice me. At one point I met his eyes. He gave me a charming and knowing little smirk and winked a little. Butterfly fluttered in my stomach and I looked away quickly, but I could still feel his eyes on me. I totally understood why the bartender was blushing.

Out of nowhere my Pentacharm tattoo stared to burn. I looked across the table at Windy. She looked sheet white and I could see the slight movement of her arm as she rubbed the tattoo on her hip. Everyone else didn’t look any better. There went our relaxing evening. I stole a glance at Ashley; He looked like he was ready to strangle someone. A shiver ran up my spine. Light laugher came from the entrance. Windy’s face twisted in pain. In a mirror on the wall I saw three men in suits being led to the smoking section on the other side of the restaurant. I noticed Ashley duck his head down as they passed. My heart thudded against my ribcage. They were seated in a back corner. I could see them clearly from here; I just wish I knew how well they could see me.

A hand rested on my shoulder. “What the hell is going on?” Jane asked. “You and Windy look like death.”

I felt worse. I looked across the table at Windy. She had her head on the table and was taking short shaky breaths. We were both somehow holding down our supper, for now at least.

I closed my eyes and leaned my elbows on the table. “This is a reaction to F.E.A.R. Three minions just walked in. I can only guess it’s due to their sheer unholy-ness and sinful aura. If it’s bad enough to make Windy queasy they have to be just utterly ungodly. I only know this because my Pentacharm feels like it’s on fire. This happened the other day at school when one of them came and gave some sort of speech, or something.”

The table got quiet. “We have to get out of here.” Samuel said after a moment.

“Doing so might cause suspicion should they see us.” I murmured. “All of us, aside from Des and Dan, look like we’re getting ready to throw ourselves into a mosh-pit. We might catch their eye. We have to wait for a little while. Just to make it seem like we don’t know they exist.”

Everyone nodded, even Windy. 10 minutes tops. I thought.

 

»»»«««

 

Great… just mother fucking great… I get one night to myself and those mother fuckers show up. I forced a smile at the bartender as she served me another drink. Damn she was hot: blond, tall, and just the right amount of curves. The petite porcelain doll with raven black hair and mint green eyes that was sneaking glances was pretty damn cute too. There went my chances with either of them. I had to get the fuck out of here.

“…to F.E.A.R. I can only guess it’s due to their sheer unholy-ness and sinful aura…” wait… What? I perked up a bit and focused on the voice. “…they have to be just utterly ungodly. I only know this because my Pentacharm feels like it is on fire….”

I let my eyes wander the few people in the general direction of the voice. They landed on the pretty little doll I had caught sneaking little peeks at me. She was leaning in close to her friends. On the other end of the table another black haired girl had her head on the table. They both looked ready to puke. The rest of the group looked pretty pale. They all had to be Wild Ones, it was the only reasonable explanation to the physical reaction they were having. Dolly was right, the sheer evilness that surrounded F.E.A.R. would make Satan upchuck.

“I thought it was our job to take out F.E.A.R.?” a blond boy from the group asked.

“Yes, but what can seven teenagers do?” A girl with curly blond hair next to Dolly asked.

“We’d only draw unnecessary attention to ourselves and them. That would be the equivalent of walking around them dressed as targets.” A boy next to the girl said.

“Fighting right now is the worst thing we can do.” Dolly said. “As Dan said, we will draw unnecessary attention. Until we know more about what we’re really dealing with our best bet is to lie low.” Out of the corner of my eye I saw the group nod a little. Good, some teenagers with some brains.

“What do ya mean ‘cut off’?” some drunken guy slurred behind me. Shit. I glanced back to see a waitress talking to a big burly guy who had obviously had too much alcohol. The waitress was trying to get the guy to pay and leave. Don’t get involved, don’t get involved, don’t get… And he smacked her. That did it. I was out of my seat and caught the waitress just before she hit the floor. Apparently I was not the only who was coming to her rescue.

“Hey asshole!” Someone called. It was the blond boy from Dolly’s group. He walked straight up to the man, who was twice his size. “No man has any right to ever hit a woman, especially if he is the issue.” He said getting in the guy’s face.

“Out of my way you little faggot!” the guy said shoving Blondie so hard he flew into the wall.

There was a collective gasp from the whole room from behind me I heard some girl say “He is fucked.” I didn’t really understand what she meant until I saw Blondie get up and tackle the man to the ground. Damn that kid was quick. The two of them wrestled for a bit before Blondie had the man to the ground with blood dripping from his nose. Blondie stood and dragged the guy to the door. A couple of people held the door open as he threw the guy out by the waist band of jeans and the collar of his shirt. Damn. This kid couldn’t have weighted more than 120 pounds and he still kicked that bear of a guy’s ass. Again I say: Damn. As Blondie walked back in the restaurant erupted with cheers and applause. The waitress stood from where I held her kneeling on the floor and walked over to the kid, thanking him with a hug. He smiled tensely and hugged her back spilling out some chivalrous drabble. When they broke apart she came back and thanked me for catching her. I smiled and she helped me to my feet

I dusted myself off and paid my tab at the bar. I quickly wrote a little note on a napkin and asked the bartender to give it to Dolly. As quietly and stealthily as I could I snuck out of the restaurant to my car. I hoped to hell and back that nobody saw me.

 

»»»«««

 

Hayden walked back to the table with a forced smile. “Can we leave now?” he asked through clenched teeth. He knew he just blew our “lie low” plan, but it could be forgiven. He had no tolerance what so ever for men who disrespected women.

“We might as well.” Samuel said. The rest of us agreed. No use in staying here. We got our check and got ready to leave.

As we got up to leave someone tapped my on my shoulder. “Excuse me, miss,” a girl said behind me.

I turned to look at the bartender Ashley had been flirting with. “Yes?” I asked looking at the almost too cheery expression on her face.

She handed me a folded up napkin. “I was asked to give this to you.” She said with a stranded voice. There was a gleam of jealousy in her eyes. What the hell has gotten her panties in a bunch?

“Thank you,” I said taking the napkin. I turned my back on her and followed my friends out the door. I slipped in to the front passenger seat of Windy’s Honda and clicked on the little light overhead. “What did the waitress give you, Rain?” Jane asked from the driver’s seat.

“That’s what I’m about to find out.” I muttered unfolding the napkin.

Meet at the rendezvous tomorrow at noon.

Bring all of your stuff.

—Ash

I stared at the napkin. The note was obviously from Ashley, I recognized his signature. But how did he know we were Wild Ones?

“What does it say Kitten?” Samuel asked trying to look over my shoulder.

I read the little note out loud. They were all a little shocked to find out Ashley had been in the restaurant; kind of shows how unobservant teenagers are. They were also baffled by how he knew we weren’t just ordinary teens.

“I say we go.” Jane said as we drove out of town.

“I agree,” Daniel said from the back seat. “The sooner we get started with the training the better. If nothing else we could be able to give them some help were it is needed.” Everyone else murmured in agreement. We made plains for the morning as the drive continued. When we were done with that I rested my head against the window and stared up at the stars and moon. It was all about to begin.

 

»»»«««

 

I pulled off the highway onto a dirt road roughly and hour outside of Seattle. The road lead to a large clearing with four other cars parked in it. I was the last one back. We had all gone out for a little alone time. We love each other and all but we all did need some space. I hiked a little ways into the forests and slipped my jacket off.  I hunched my shoulders and groaned a little as my back stared to ache. I felt my shoulder blades grind together. Bones formed where there was none and my skin stretched to accommodate them. With the new bone came new muscle. It stretched and formed with everything else. Soon my skin prickled as feathers began to grow. When it was over I straighten up and stretched my black feathered wings. I had roughly a ten-foot wingspan. The feathers were a soft back, like the color of worn leather. With a few hard flaps I was hovering above the trees. I pointed myself in the direction of The Cavern and was off.

I landed in the wide open valley surrounded by tall mountains. At the base of one mountain was a large cave. We had set up a make shift shelter inside it for the time being. The guys were sitting around a small fire in the mouth of the cave. My wings retracted as I sauntered over to the circle.

“Hey! He actually came back!” CC called. I rolled my eyes at the comment. Yes, I was a notorious flirt, but it’s been a while since my last one night stand.

I sat on the ground by the fire. A warm glow illuminated the group. I was happy to see the girls were here too; Jinxx had Sammi and they were curled up together; Jake had his head rested in Ella’s lap; Lauren was sitting in CC’s lap; and Andy and Juliet were snuggled close together. I’ll admit it, I was kind of jealous they had found their perfect girls.

“You were out pretty late, Ash.” Jake said. “We sorta thought you found some girl to go home with.”

I rolled my eyes a little. “I looked but didn’t find anyone worth it.” A scoff came from CC. I flipped him off and took a deep breath. “But I did find someone worth our time, about seven some-ones actually.”

They all turned to me. “You met Wild Ones?” CC asked voice full of surprise.

“Not met, just saw. Talking to them wasn’t really an option.”

“What do you mean?” Jinxx asked. They all listened intently. Everyone seemed to hold their breath as I relayed the events of the night.

“Thank you for inviting them here.” Andy said switching into Prophet mode. “The more hands we have the faster we can get set up.  The faster we get camp set up the better.”

The group nodded. A somber silence fell over us. My mind wandered as I laid back to gaze at the stars. I played connect the dots with the constellations as my mind drifted off to dream land.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning went by fast. We slept in a little and got up around 9:30 and headed out for breakfast having packet our stuff last night. The rendezvous was on the far east side of Seattle.  It didn’t take long to get there after breakfast, adding in the drive from Everett and minor traffic. We ended up at a little parking garage next to a bank about 11:00. We decided to get an early lunch at a little café across the street.

The café was homey. It was nice and bright and smelled like homemade apple pie. We sat at a large booth in the back out of the way. Our waitress was a woman who reminded me of Dolly Parton, just with smaller boobs. She was polite, even had a bit of a southern accent.

It was roughly 11:45 when a certain customer caught my eye. Through others came in before him, Ashley was just hard to not notice, even when he was trying to look normal. He walked in wearing a black button down plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up and dark blue jeans pulled over his cowboy boots. After last night I didn’t blame him for trying to blend in. He smiled politely at the waitress as he was sat at a table near us. By now my friends had seen him too, I was just the only one who couldn’t help but stare.  Not to seem like a creeper, I quickly glanced around the room and turned back to my friends.

We enjoyed the rest of our time in the café, chitchatting and laughing a little, just acting like a normal group of teens. Food always seems like a good waste of time. We got up to leave and I glanced at Ashley. Our eyes met and he smiled a little and winked, licking his lips a bit. Heat flooded my cheeks and I quickly looked away. This was an awkward situation just waiting to happen.

After we left we went out and waited by our cars for Ashley. He came out around 12:15. He smiled and walked up to us. “I have to admit, I’m kind of surprised,” he said. “We really weren’t expecting to get anyone here the early.”

“Andy was pretty convincing.” I chuckled softly. Ashley gave us a huge, gorgeous smile. Don’t swoon like a love-struck schoolgirl. I thought to myself. We all shook hands and introduced ourselves to him.

“I have to ask,” Ashley said, his smile fading. “What happened with your previous encounter with F.E.A.R.? I overheard you talking about it last night.”

My stomach dropped. I explained my violent reaction at school that Monday. Daniel explained that the F.E.A.R. representative spook out against the invasion of “evil” into the world. We all understood that their “evil” was in fact the world’s “saving grace” so to speak.

Ashley nodded a little and looked at me. “Your body’s reaction to F.E.A.R. is due to the sheer evil they radiate. Because your bloodline is genetically wired to resist their power, your body rejected his presence. The violence of the reaction could be from many things, but a large portion of it was most likely due to the fact you are Christian and you bare the Pentacharm on your skin. Your subconscious mind is embedded with the aspects and beliefs of Christianity.  F.E.A.R. is in every way, shape, and form the complete opposite of Christianity. Your mind subconsciously refused F.E.A.R.’s ‘brainwashing’, as you put it, enhancing your physical pain. The Pentacharm would have done the same. Since we are F.E.A.R.’s sworn enemy, your tattoo would have sent distress signals throughout your body, which would cause the burning itch. You might also be descendant of one of the first Wild Ones who were hypersensitive to F.E.A.R.’s power. That handful of individuals would become physically ill when F.E.A.R. was too close. This would explain your reaction as well Windy.”

“But the rest of us were barely affected.” Daniel interjected. “Hayden, Samuel, and Jane all have Black Veil Brides tattoos, yet they barely reacted last night. And Destiny and I felt next to nothing. If what you said is true, then how is that possible?”

“The majority of the Wild bloodline is resistant to F.E.A.R.’s influence,” Ashley said turning to Daniel, “some were completely unaffected. You all might be descendant of those individuals who were genetically impervious to F.E.A.R. Also, just as it is a weakness, a strong Christian faith can also be a mental shield. It would have blocked F.E.A.R.’s psychic intrusions— the voice Rain heard. It is normally an attack on a person’s subconscious thoughts, but due to Rain’s weakened state she became aware of the trespassing of her psyche. As a result of her already deteriorating metal and physical health at the time, Rain’s faith became more of a poison to her body, causing her to become ill.”

“So the voice was F.E.A.R. try to brainwash the school and not Rain’s schizophrenia?” Destiny asked. God, why did she have to bring that up?

“Des, I took my meds that morning,” I whined. “If I hadn’t I would have gone home way before the assembly.”

“No it was not a schizophrenic hallucination.” Ashley interjected. “It would have been ten times worse if it mixed with a hallucination. She would most likely have been hospitalized for it.” He turned to look at me inquisitively. “How long have you been dealing with schizophrenia?”

“As long as I can remember,” I stuttered. “It didn’t get really bad until I turned twelve. After that I was constantly having horrific visions of people dying, screams of pain and suffering, blood, lots and lots of blood…” I trailed off, shifting my eyes to the ground. I hugged myself as memories of all the hallucinations came flooding back. I felt tears swell and I did my best to blink them back, pursing my lips into a thin line.

“Rain, look at me,” Ashley said. A finger crooked under my chin and he gently turned my face to his. “Rain, calm down, it’s ok. As we train you we will build your mental strength. The hallucinations will cease to torment you. You have your meds right?” I nodded. “Good. I’m sorry, Dolly, I didn’t mean to make to relive your visions” Ashley softly wrapped his arms around me, hugging me to him. I took a few deep breaths to calm down, feeling safe and sheltered.

Wait… did he just call me Dolly?

My fist connected hard with his stomach. He gasped and jumped back releasing me. “What the fuck was that for?” he groaned holding his abdomen.

“You call me Dolly again and I’ll break your fucking jaw.” I said sniffling a little.

He just looked at me a laughed a little. “C’mon let’s get going, it’s going to be a bit of a drive.” He said straightening up.

A small smile came to my lips. My friends and I followed Ashley’s lead and we got into our cars. Destiny got into the driver’s seat of my cobalt and I got in to the front passenger seat. Dan and Jane slid into the back. We backed out of the parking space and followed Ashley out of the garage and out of town.

“You only punched Ashley so you could feel his abs.” Destiny teased after a few minutes.

“What! No!”  I nearly shouted. My cheeks turned bright pink.

“Yes, you know it’s true. You don’t normally mind people calling you ‘Dolly’, so why else would you punch him?

“I just got use to people calling me that. It still annoys the shit out of me though.” Curse my cutesy doll-like features. “Yes I have a major crush on him but he’s like ten years older than us. The awkwardness of the entire thing would be unbearable.”

Destiny wiggled her eyebrows at me. Oh shit. “Ashley and Rain sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” she sang.

“Fuck You!” I wined burying my face in my hands to hide the well-known fact I was as red as a tomato now. The car erupted with laugher.

****  
  


»»»«««

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“You really think she is, Ash?” Jinxx asked over the phone, sounding a little excited.

“It only makes sense. But I want you see for yourself.” I said into the phone. “Just be genital please. I’ve already made her cry, so try not to scare her too much.”

“Why’d you make her cry? I thought that would be that last thing you’d ever make a girl do.”

“I didn’t mean to, it just happened, though she did punch me afterwards so I’m pretty sure we’re even.”

Jinxx chuckled. “See you in a while, brother.”

“Bye Jinxx.” And the call ended.

****  
  


»»»«««

****  
  


We drove for about an hour through dense evergreens. I gazed out the car window the entire time. Washington was so beautiful. If the Twilight movies got anything right it was the scenery. We followed Ashley up through a little dirt road to a clearing. He parked alongside the other four cars hidden in the trees. Hayden, who was driving Windy’s Honda, just parked wherever.

“We’ll come back for your stuff later.” Ash said as we got out of our cars. He went around to the trunk of his car and opened it. “It’s going to be a long hike.” He said pulling out a couple of backpacks. “These are full of water and trail mix and all that shit. It will take us roughly and hour or so just to hike through the mountains, then about thirty minutes to get through a passage through the rocks. I don’t want anyone to get hurt, so we will take all the time we need. I do suggest bringing any meds you might need.” He shot a quick glance at me.

I smiled reassuringly. “I’m insane, Ashley, not stupid.” I said walking around to the trunk of my car. I opened it and pulled out the bug-out bag. “If I learned anything in my ten years of Girl Scouting, it’s to always be prepared for the worst. This has a basic Red Cross certified first aid kit, plus our medications, glow sticks, flashlights, blah, blah, blah,  and a spare for everything.”

Ashley smirked a little and walked over. “I’ll take this,” He said grabbing the first aid kit. “You carry this.” He handed me a bag from his trunk.

“Yes mother,” I teased good-humoredly. He rolled his eyes at a little and I stuck my tongue out at him jokingly, slipping into the back bag.

Everyone else pulled on a bag. They were pretty hefty. They were Camelbaks, holding roughly a gallon of water, plus whatever else Ashley put into them. But they were still light enough not to be too big of a burden.

“Let’s head out.” Ashley called heading into the woods. “If we’re lucky we can make it back by dinner.” We all just fell in line behind him.

As he had said the hike was long. We stopped frequently to make sure everyone was okay and staying with the group. We followed paths, climbed rocks, and squeezed through holes, all while trying to not fall off a cliff. This took roughly two hours give or take a few minutes. After that we had to worm our way a passage that was about two feet at it widest point. This was 45 minutes of falling, hitting our heads on randomly appearing rocks, and nearly twisting our ankles. Thank God Ashley was so helpful. He helped us along making sure we didn’t get too banged up.

It was nearly four p.m. when crawled out back into sunlight. We all stretched out and rested after being in such a cramped space for so long.

“We’re nearly there,” Ashley said from his place on the ground, “Just a few more minutes of hiking.” The group gave a collective grown. “If you didn’t want to work you should have stayed home.” Ashley said. “It’s only going to get worse. If you’re not up for it I will happily hike your asses back to the cars.” A few of us groaned out an antagonized “no thank you”.

“Are we going to have to hike back to get our shit?” Hayden asked.

“It’s not worth it.” Jane groaned.

Ashley chuckled a little. “No, no more hiking for any of you. Hopefully Jinxx will have a portal charm ready for each of you. Those will be able to get you back and forth between here and just about anywhere, within reason. If not someone will fly back for your things.”

“Thank God.” Daniel muttered lying back on the ground. Destiny rubbed his arm and leaned back on a tree, both of them tired as hell. Fuck, we were all ready to keel over.

“How much further do we have to go?” Samuel asked with a small groan.

“Ten minutes tops.” Ashley replied. “Just out of the forest and over a small hill to where we have a small base camp set up. There you can all rest for a while. Dinner should be ready pretty soon, too.”

Windy stood up and stretched with an audible pop. “Let’s just get this over and done with. We can all pass out later tonight.” The group murmured in agreement.

“You sure you’re all ok to continue?” Ashley asked. We all nodded and helped hoist each other to our feet. Ashley gave a small nod and stood as well. Then we were off again.

We soon arrived at the camp site. It kind of looked like a medieval army encampment, like something you would see on Game of Thrones and other medieval themed shows. Large groupings of canvas tents surrounded small fire pits. These clusters made a semicircle around a large open area at the mouth of a great cave. A fire burned in the mouth of the cave and another not far from it in the clearing. A single figure sat by the fire in the cave, four more at the other fire. Three more individuals were erecting a tent at the far left of the campsite.

“Hey Guys! Ash is back!” a female voice drifted over the light breeze. Ashley smiled a little.  Everyone dropped what they were doing and came to greet us at the bottom of the hill. First to greet us were Sammi, Ella, Lauren, Juliet, and Jinxx. The girls gave Ashley small hugs; Jinxx smiled and the two of them had a bit of a bro hug. Ashley then introduced us and we shook hands. Right off the bat I really liked Sammi and Lauren. They were warm and opened to us. Juliet was ok; I just didn’t feel all that comfortable with her. Ella seemed to be keeping her distance. Jinxx though seemed to be in a cuddly mood seeing as he gave us all big, warm, welcoming hugs.

Jake, CC, and Andy came strolling up soon after. They smiled and shook hands with us. “It’s good to see you all made it without many issues.” Andy said looking us over.

“Yea, that hike is a pain in the ass.” CC exclaimed.

“And arms, and legs, and places that we didn’t know exist,” Hayden interjected with a sarcastic huff, earning a light chuckle from everyone.

“Sammi, would you mind showing them to their tents please.” Andy requested politely. “I’m sure a long rest before dinner is well deserved.”

“No problem, Andy.” Sammi replied with a smile. She motioned for us to follow her. “This way please.”

We were shown to two large hexagonal tents, girls in one and boys in the other. Four cots lined the far walls with a trunk at the end of each bed. A small table and chairs sat in the middle of the spacious tent. Two empty wooden racks stood by the entrance. They would be used to hold whatever weapons we chose to fight with, Sammi explained before leaving us to rest.

I took off the backpack and threw it next to a random cot, claiming it for myself. Wendy, Jane, and Destiny did the same. We all stretched and kicked off our shoes. I had just lied back for a little nap when someone knocked on one of the poles supporting the tents canvas covering. “You’re all decent, right?” a voice called from outside.

I rolled my eyes a little. “No CC, the first thing we did was strip down and started a pillow fight.” I answered as sarcastically as my drained body could manage.

“Oh, ok…” He paused for a second. “Mind if I join you?” he shouted hyperactively.

The four of us looked at each other and shrugged. “What the hell, why not,” Destiny shouted back. There was a little cheer of glee and he burst through the tent door.

“Aw…” CC whined with an over exaggerated pout as he saw us lazing about on the beds.

“Did you really think we would be having a pillow fight after three hours of hiking?” Windy asked with a hint of sarcasm. CC just shrugged innocently.

I laughed a little. “What do you really want, CC?”

“Jake and I are going to go get your things. We kind of need your keys.”

I sat up with a groan and dug through the backpack for my keys. I found them and tossed them to CC who caught them effortlessly. “Hayden should have mine.” Windy said.

CC nodded and left. “Sweet dreams girls. Someone will come get you when dinner is ready.” He called over his shoulder as the tent flap closed.

We all smiled at each other and I collapsed back onto the cot. I threw my arm over my eyes and let weariness slip me into a deep sleep.

****  
  


»»»«««

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“You were right Ash,” Jinxx said as we sat by the fire in the cave, “that girl, Rain, she does contain a strong untouched power. But the barriers containing it are starting to crack.”

I looked at Jinxx concerned. “You can contain and improve her control over it, right?” I asked a little too anxiously.

“Yes,” Jinxx replied as he focused on the rock in hands. “It will take time to train her, but I’m sure she will be more than willing to work with me when I explain the benefits. If nothing else it will give me time to help her with her schizophrenia, which she will most likely beg me to do anyways.”

My heart thudded against my chest. “So you can help her with the terrifying hallucinations?” I asked. “I promised we would help her try and get them to stop. I really don’t want to break that promise.”

“Stopping them entirely will take time,” Jinxx said rotating the stone in his hands, “but it is possible.”

I sigh with slight relief. At least it was something for her to look forward to. It was quiet for a few moments, nothing much to hear but the wind and the crackle of the fire. But I had to ask, hesitating for a second before speaking. “Do you think she is The Oracle?” I muttered staring at the burning coals of the fire.

“I’ll find out tomorrow.” Jinxx said holding up a chunk of black quartz by a leather string attached to it. “I’ll take her somewhere quiet and have her meditate with me so I can tap into her inner strength. But she does show the more physical sighs as the others did in the past. You should remember them well.”

I did, all too well. Rain looked almost exactly like Shikica, the original Oracle. She defiantly Shikica’s eyes, all the oracles did. Rain also had Shikica’s long black hair, doll-like bone structure, her perfect curves, that sway in her walk, that cute little nose wrinkle thing Shikica always did when you pushed her buttons…

“Ashley!” a voice penetrated my thoughts

“Huh?” I mumbled coming back to reality.

I looked at Jinxx who was smirking at me. “You’re drooling.” He said with a chuckle. I picked up small rock and with a flick of my wrist threw it at him. He dodged it effortlessly and laughed a little. “Thinking of Shikica again?”

I nodded and lied back on the cool rock floor.

“I know you miss her Ash.” Jinxx muttered.

“Not as much as I use to. You get over it after a thousand years.” I mumbled staring at the cave celling. “I just hope Rain doesn’t turn out the same… like the others”

A solemn silence crept over the two of us. “You’re attracted to Rain, aren’t you?” Jinxx whispered after a few moments. I sighed miserably and nodded. I gazed at the overhanging rocks, looking through them more than at them.

A hand rested on my shoulder and squeezed lightly. “Protect her Ash. Make sure she doesn’t succumb to them.” Jinxx said, sounding distant and muffled through my own wandering thoughts.

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_Bright… white… fluffy clouds… so soft and warm… so inviting… A person… a woman… with soft, short, tight, brown curls… and pale flawless skin… deep blue eyes…in a white dress…pretty, bright, loving smile…so familiar… a mothers smile of tender love…but her eyes… her eyes showed wisdom far beyond her age… more than a mother’s… a grandmother… my grandmother… my Nanny…_

I woke up to a hand gently shaking me by my shoulder. “Rain,” A voice called softly, “Rain, wake up.” I opened my eyes and blinked, my eyes watering fiercely. I tried to release the breath I seemed to be holding, but it came out more of a sob. Small tears fell down my cheeks. My heart was jumping out of my chest. Somebody sat on the edge of my cot. Two arms pulled me against a warm chest. “Rain, be still, it’s ok, everything is all right. You’re safe Rain.” The person cooed softly. My breath came in shaky gasps. I clang to the body in front of me, burying my face into his chest. My mind slowly caught up to reality. I gradually began to recognize Jinxx’s voice as he murmured comforting words as he tenderly rubbed my back.

I caught my breath and my heart slowed to its normal rate. “Just a dream…” I murmured to myself softly.

“That’s right, Rain,” Jinxx whispered. “It was nothing more than a terrible dream. You’re safe. Nothing can harm you. It’s gone now.”

The tears came back and I sniffled. “That’s the point,” I sobbed softly. “She’s gone… forever.” I once again began to weep into Jinxx’s chest.

Jinxx cradled me close and rocked me slowly. “Who?” He asked, his voice barely above a whisper. How can such a simple question hurt so much.

“My grandma… my Nanny…” I whimpered. I felt like a small child in Jinxx’s arms. But it felt safe, like hugging a teddy bear to scare away the ugly monsters in the closet and under the bed.

“Hush now… It’s all right. She is in a better place.” Jinxx cooed. “She is in God’s care now.” He rocked me softly and just let me cry. I just hugged him and let it all out.

As I calmed down his words finally seemed to register with me. “I thought you didn’t believe God existed… or something like that?” I muttered hoarsely against the fabric of Jinxx’s shirt. He chuckled softly.

Jinxx gave a soft groan, his hand griping my shoulder tightly. I glanced up at him and even in the dim light I could see his face twist in irritation. I glanced over his shoulder and gasped as I spotted a mass of skin and bone sprouting from his back. Jinxx rubbed my arm softly as I continued to watch as the mass grew and took shape, developing soft black feathers as well. Jinx stretch his wings and wrapped them around us. I looked at the wings that encircled us. I reached out and ran my hand over the feathers in childish wonder. They were soft to the touch, almost like velvet.

“If God did not exist, than neither would I or anyone else.” Jinxx whispered. “Andy, Jake, Ashley, CC, and I are Fallen Angels. We have seen God with our own eyes. We fell because we felt we didn’t belong in Heaven. We are bound to Earth because Lucifer feels we are too good for Hell.” Jinxx stroked my hair and gently turned my face to look him in the eye. “God is real and your grandmother is with him now, that I can assure you. She watches over you and your family from heaven. She is proud to call you her granddaughter.” His thumb brushed over my cheek whipping away tears softly.

I took a deep calming breath and wrapped my arms around Jinxx’s neck. “Thank you,” I whispered as I hugged him close.

He rubbed my back and squeezed me gently. “Dinner is ready, Rain. Pull yourself together and go eat.”

I smiled at him softly as we parted. I used the sleeve of my shirt to dab away the tears that still remained. Jinxx and I stood together and walked to the entrance.

“Go on, I’ll be out in a second.” Jinx said gently pushing me towards the tent flap. I nodded and exited the tent into the chilly evening air. Nearby, everyone sat around a blazing fire.

“There you are!” Hayden called from his place between Windy and Jane on the far side of the fire. I smiled and walked over to join my friends for dinner.

****  
  


»»»«««

****  
  


I looked after Rain and sighed. My wings drew back into my body and I looked the sky. Thanks for helping me with that.  I thought.

“It is what she already knew, she just need reassuring of the truth.”  A voice sounded, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

I nodded, taking a deep breath and squaring my shoulders before exiting the tent.

****  
  


»»»«««

****  
  


“So why do you all tell us about yourselves.” Jake said after a as dinner was coming to an end. By now the sky had grown dark, the only light coming from the stars, the moon, and the fire.

I glanced around. Everyone but Daniel looked a little nervous.

Daniel shrugged a little. “Guess I’ll go first.” He took a deep breath. “There really isn’t much to tell. I grew up in a loving home with brothers and sister. We went to church, vacations, you know, just family stuff. I am a straight A student with no detention record. I do my best to be at school unless I absolutely can’t go. I’ve never really seen the point in defying rules and laws for pleasure—”

“Basically he is a goodie-two-shoe.” Destiny interjected jokingly. Daniel rolled his eyes a little but smiled at his girlfriend. “I might as well go next.” Destiny said, taking a moment to collect her thoughts before beginning. “I was born in and grew up in Lowell, Arkansas. It was pretty good as far as my home life went, but school was a different story. I didn’t have many friends. I was bullied… a lot. I even was suicidal at one point. But my dad got a job promotion and we moved to Oklahoma. Of course no one likes to leave the only home they’ve ever known, even if they weren’t happy in it. But none the less, we moved into a little house outside McAlester, Oklahoma. I went to a small school, Krebs Elementary, and I met Rain, back when she still had brown hair.” We smiled at each other. “Krebs was terrible so my parents moved me to the middle school in McAlester. There I met Windy,” Windy smiled, “and Dan,” Daniel smiled and grabbed her hand, “and others. From there life just got better. Rain and I went to church together and then school as well since eighth grade. There were little bumps here and there but all around, everything was pretty good. Then things went downhill a bit.” Destiny bit her lip, her shoes becoming very interesting. Daniel squeezed her hand, knowing what was coming next.

“If it is too hard for you, you don’t have to continue.” Ashley said softly.

“No, it’s ok,” Destiny whispered. “It’s just my mother died a few years ago.” The atmosphere of the group turned somber. I move around the fire to sit next to Destiny. She took my hand and shakily continued. “My mom was my best friend. She saw me through all the ups and downs life took. Then she was just gone.” She sniffed a little. I hugged her and rubbed her arm softly.

CC came and kneeled in front of Destiny. “Losing family is hard, especially when they’re that close to you.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “But it makes you stronger. Yes it hurts like hell, but in death comes life.” Destiny looked at him teary eyed. He smiled softly. “Your mother’s strength lives on in you. She is your strength.” CC softly brushed away a tear from Destiny’s cheek. Destiny smiled softly.

“Who’s next?” CC asked getting comfortable on the ground next to me.

“Ah, what the hell,” Hayden muttered, “might as well get it over with.” He shifted a little on the ground then cleared his throat. “I was born and raised in Oklahoma. Home was ok, not the best but nothing to really complain about. Mom and dad had their… issues, but always managed to put me first. I personally never really like my farther, mostly because I was, and still am a bit of a mama’s boy. Every time they fought, my dad would always leave and my mom would sit in the kitchen or living room and just cry.  My parents divorced when I was 10. My distain for my father only grew from there. There was a huge custody battle over me for about three years. But mom won full custody when my dad went to jail for, well, basically kidnaping me.” All but Windy, Jane, Samuel, and I had a look of pure shock on their face. Hayden shrugged. “It was out of desperation. He had this firm belief that a boy should be raise by his father, with or without a mother. Now he can’t come within 200 yards of me without being arrested. From there life has been pretty good. Yeah I’ve dealt with bullies and shit, but I’ve had my mom and close friends to help me and a gorgeous girlfriend too.” He smiled at Windy and kissed her.

Jane made fake gaging noises. Windy rolled her eyes and playfully punched Jane’s arm.

“Your turn, Love?” Hayden asked looking at Windy.

“Fuck it,” Windy mumbled as she got comfortable leaning back on Hayden’s chest. “Like Hayden I was born and raised in Oklahoma, on a small family farm. I was never really like the rest of my family and no one understood me, except my Grandpa. I was close to him and confided in him when life was hard.” Windy frowned a little and looked at her hands. “He died when I was ten. Life just turned to hell after that. My parents split and I lived with my dad because I just couldn’t stand my mother. That lasted until I was fourteen, then my dad started dating a gold-digging whore. I hated—hate—her and her obnoxious slut of a daughter. They stole my personal things and made my life even worse. They even turned my dad completely against me—granted he was never too happy with my life choices. So I moved in with my mom in Hugo. Life was still hell but it was better… well a little. School sucked. Mom and I learned to tolerate each other. And my dad has been trying to win me back ever since. Ironic considering he said I couldn’t go back to him once I moved in with mom.” She smiled a little. Hayden squeezed her and kissed her cheek.

“I might as well go next.” Jane said throwing the twig she had been picking at in to the fire. “Well… My story is a lot like Windy’s, in some ways. My Family has never been all too accepting, at least not my mother’s side. They’re all stuck-up and bitchy. My dad’s side was cool, pretty crazy though. They split when I was six. I lived with my mother most of the time, but spent as much time with my dad as possible.” She chuckled. “By the time I was twelve I had tried everything from beer to pot thanks to my dad…Without my mother’s knowledge, of course. It was all parties and fun with dad. But that ended…” her lip trembled.

I reached over CC and gave her knee a light squeeze. “You want me to finish for you?” I asked sincerely. It was always hard for her talking about her dad.

She looked at me teary eyed and shook her head, then curled up into a ball and stared into the fire. “Dad died of a heart attack while driving. The car ended up in a deep ditch. No one else was hurt… He was my best friend, so it hit me pretty fucking hard… hard enough to push me to rock bottom. I pretty much drowned myself in booze and drugs to cope. It didn’t help that my mother pretty much hated me from the start. It fact it made it worse.” Jane glared at the fire. “She pretty much stole any money dad left me. She also took my paychecks when I started working. She would yell at me and pretty much curse my existence.” Jane paused, her eyes softening. She looked me in the eye before continuing. “Rain and her family were pretty much my saving grace. She was the only sober person I knew. She gave me someone to talk to when I really couldn’t talk to anyone else. She and her family helped pull me away from the people who really didn’t care. Hell, her mom got her lawyer boss to represent me when I was emancipated just to get me away from my mom.” We smiled at each other. “I still smoke weed occasionally, but not as often and I’m off cigarettes. I moved to Hugo with my cousin about a year ago because my mom stared harassing me because she wanted me to pay for her lazy, jobless ass.”

Jane took a deep breath and wiped away the tears that still stained her cheek. CC lead over a little and gave her a one armed hug make her smile a little.

“My turn, I guess,” Samuel said. He cleared his throat. “I’m an Army Brat. My mom works intelligents and is bounced from base to base. I followed her until I was thirteen and just got sick and tired of moving so much. So she sent me to live with my grandparents in Hugo, Oklahoma. My dad ditched us when I was two. Though he has recently come back to try and be part of my life. Fat Chance. I don’t give two shits about him and his bottle blond ditz of a girlfriend. I’ve been bullied since I was thirteen because I’m ‘An Emo Fag’. It just became something to ignore. Ironically I am gay, but I proudly accept my tittle of Fag. I also converted to Satanism a few years ago, to the displeasure of most of my family. Beyond all that things have been pretty bland.”

“That’s a good thing.” Jake interjected, earning a smile from Samuel.

“I guess that just leaves you, Rain.” Daniel said.

I stiffened as all eyes shifted to me. I’d been dreading this moment. I took a deep breath and willed my heart to slow down.

“Like Samuel I’m a Military Brat, but my dad was in the navy. He retired when I was seven. We moved to McAlester when I was about eight. That’s when I started getting really vivid visions. I‘d always had them, but these were longer and more detailed. I just ignored them, playing it off as daydreaming. Life was good then. Nothing really bad happened for about four years. I met Jane when I was nine, Destiny when I was ten. Things were pretty good. Then just after my twelfth birthday I got a horrific vision…” my voice hitched in my throat.

Destiny wrapped her arm around me. CC squeezed my knee reassuringly.

“It’s ok Rain,” Jinxx said softly, “don’t force yourself to relive them.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and continued. “…I was taken to a specialist who diagnosed me with some form of schizophrenia and prescribed meds and therapy.

“From there things were ok. I met Windy in eighth grade. I survived life through the first two years of high school. Then my grandma died about a month after my seventeenth birthday. Personally it was a relief to know she was no longer dealing with the pain and confusion of Alzheimer’s. What really hurt was watching my mom and grandpa fight. Things at home got a little tense and I was getting stressed over it and the fact my meds weren’t kicking in until just after a hallucination would start. So I took up smoking. Not the best choice I’ve ever made and not the easiest thing to hide from my parents, but I did, for almost a year. Destiny told my parents and they had an intervention and somehow got me to quit. I was also put on a higher dosage of my schizophrenia meds and a light antidepressant. Soon after, my mom and grandpa stopped fighting. About a month ago I was taken off the antidepressant, but my doctor told me to keep the prescription just in case I fell back into whatever dark hole that had swallowed me.”

“You have that with you right?” Ashley asked a little anxiously.

I smiled at him. “I told you earlier: I’m insane, not stupid.”

Everyone laughed lightly, the serious mood easing.

****  
  


I walked back you my tent, having spent another hour and a half around the fire telling humorous tales and just talking about nothing in particular. My body ached slightly in recovery from the hike. Guess I would have to get use to soreness if I was going to be doing this. I rubbed an exceptionally knotted part of my shoulder and winced a little with an inward groan of discomfort and annoyance.

A hand landed on my shoulder causing me to jump in surprise. I spun around, jerking away from the hand, to face Jinxx. I sighed in relief at the sight of him. God, I didn’t even hear him come up behind me.

“Skittish much?” He chuckled softly with a gentle smile.

I shoved him half-heartedly, not really able to muster any real strength at the moment. “Don’t do that to me,” I said with a small groan.

Jinxx’s smile grew and he embraced me in a soft hug. “Sorry Rain didn’t mean to scare you.” I moaned softly in discomfort. Jinxx released me and smiled knowingly.

“So what do what Jinxx?” I asked sounding a more irritated than I was.

“I just need to talk to you for a minute.” Jinxx replied calmly. He turned a little and motioned for me to follow him to an unoccupied tent. I wordlessly complied, my muscles screaming in protest of moving. Jinxx pulled out a chair at the table for me, witch I gratefully took with a small “thank you” to him. He sat in the chair to my left and snapped his fingers. The cluster of candles in the middle of the table lit up, bathing the tent in a warm glow.

I looked at Jinxx wide eyed, earning a smile from him. “I’ll explain later,” he murmured.

I sighed a little and rolled my head a bit to relive the stiffness setting in. “What do you need to talk about?” I inquired.

Jinxx put a hand on my shoulder. “You, Rain. We need to talk about you.” He said coolly and gently.

This couldn’t be good; discussions like this never went well for me. I froze and looked him dead in the eye.

Jinxx seemed to sense my discomfort and gave my shoulder a light, reassuring squeeze. “It’s nothing bad Rain, in fact quite the opposite. I wish to talk discuss my plan on helping you with your schizophrenia, and few other things.”

“What other things?” I asked getting a little worried.

Jinxx smiled a little. “You have a great power, a gift, locked inside you, Rain. It is very strong, a little too strong. Too strong to the point it is threating to break loose. I don’t know exactly what it is, but I sense it is connected to your schizophrenia. If it gets out of hand, it could drive you completely insane—worst case scenario of course.”

My face fell. My life has been full of worst case scenarios, and I don’t think the universe is planning on changing that.

Jinxx gently rubbed my arm. “Now, now, don’t worry. I’m here to make sure that doesn’t happen.” I relaxed a little. Jinxx smiled softly. “I plan on personally handling and watching this to make sure you keep control. I will train you on how to do so.” He scooted a little closer and leaned in a bit. “And this training will help you with your schizophrenic hallucinations… to where it may stop them completely.” He whispered this last part.

My heart skipped a beat. No more visions. No more screaming; no more death; no more blood.

I threw my arms around Jinxx, ignoring the protest from my body. “Thank you,” I whispered, tears coming to my eyes.

Jinxx chuckled softly and lightly hugged me back. “We’ll start tomorrow after breakfast.” He said. He stood, gently pulling me with him. “Now go back to your tent and rest. Tomorrow is going to come pretty damn early.”

I smiled and pulled out of Jinxx’s arms then left the tent to return to my own.


End file.
